Venue: OU-JLIC at Queens College OU-JLIC at Queens College

Parsha:

Bamidbar 

Collections: R' Charnoff Bamidbar

Description

When we think of Sefer Bamidbar, there are many critical stories that come to mind. Why then do we begin such an action packed Sefer with...a census? Not only is this the opening of the Sefer, and therefore the seed from which all of the Sefer must sprout, but Chazal even refer to Sefer Bamidbar as Chumash HaPekudim, "The Book of Counting." What is so important about the census that is becomes the focal point the Sefer? We explore the many layers of the Hebrew root "pakad," the depth of what a census is in the context of Torah, and how this frames what all of Sefer Bamidbar is setting out to accomplish. (Part of HaMidrasha at QC, OU-JLIC's Torah learning program for women at Queens College)